Message from the Dean

By Carolyn Evans
Dean, Melbourne Law School
Harrison Moore Professor of Law

Melbourne Law School will next year celebrate its 160th anniversary, an occasion on which we can reflect on our proud history of legal education and research, as well as recognising the many achievements and successes of our alumni, students and staff.

Over the course of 160 years, MLS alumni have made a significant contribution to Australia and the world in fields as diverse as law, politics, business, the arts and the not-for-profit sector. As Dean of the Law School it is always a pleasure to hear the stories of our alumni and the many contributions they are making in their chosen field.

In this edition of MLS News I know you will enjoy reading the profiles of MLS alumni bringing their legal expertise to the fields of science, engineering, medicine and entrepreneurship. This issue also explores the increasing influence of technology in the legal sphere, the impact that ISIS and other Islamist militant groups have on international law, and the impact of Australia’s labour regulation on temporary migrant workers.

It is with pleasure that we welcome back to the MLS community the Honourable Marcia Neave AO as our Judge in Residence for the second semester of 2016. Joining us after leading the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, in this issue of MLS News her Honour reflects on her remarkable career as one of Australia’s top legal reformers.

In July we were saddened by the passing of the Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC, a giant of the Australian legal landscape who will remain an inspiration to many of us. The Alan Goldberg Scholarship, established by friends last year, means that future generations of students will be reminded of his important contribution to the law.

MLS staff continue to be recognised for their scholarly achievements and successes. Professor Margaret Young was the winner of the 2016 Woodward Medal in Humanities and Social Sciences for her book Trading Fish, Saving Fish: The Interaction between Regimes in International Law, and Jason Varuhas won the UK Society of Legal Scholars Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship for his book Damages and Human Rights. These accolades are just two examples of recent staff successes and are testament to the quality of the research and work our academic team does here at the Law School.

At the end of 2016 we will farewell our longstanding Chair in Human Rights Law and former Director of the Institute for International Law and the Humanities (IILAH) Professor Dianne Otto. I wish to thank Professor Otto for her remarkable contribution during her time at MLS. Those of you who have been taught by Di over the years should enjoy the reflection on her career in this edition.

As we enter the final months of 2016, I would like to thank all of you who have contributed to the Law School this year. I hope many of you can join us as we celebrate our 160^th anniversary in 2017 with a series of lectures and events throughout the year and a gala dinner on 3 June. I look forward to continuing to share our stories with you.